bebionic3 Myoelectric Robotic Hand

Take a look at this happy user of bebionic's latest myoelectric robotic hand.

(bebionic3 myoelectric robotic hand)

A father who lost his arm in an accident six years ago has been given a new lease of life by a hi-tech bionic hand which is so precise he can type again. Nigel Ackland, 53, has been fitted with the Terminator-like carbon fibre mechanical hand which he can control with movements in his upper arm. The new bebionic3 myoelectric hand, which is also made from aluminium and alloy knuckles, moves like a real human limb by responding to Nigel's muscle twitches. Incredibly, the robotic arm is so sensitive it means the father-of-one can touch type on a computer keyboard, peel vegetables, and even dress himself for the first time in six years.

Nigel commented, “Having a bebionic hand is like being human again, psychologically I wouldn’t be without it. I can hold the phone, shake hands and wash my left hand normally, which I haven’t been able to for five years! I’m back to being a two finger typist and can even do a very interesting hand signal which I call the 15th function, not particularly functional perhaps, but the psychological benefit is immense! Overall, the bebionic hand has had a great impact on my life, not only does it look more like a human hand but it also functions more like a human hand.”

Philip K. Dick wrote about robotic hands early on - see the entry for his robotic surgeon hand from his 1955 short story War Veteran as well as the interchangeable hands from his 1965 novel The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch.

Science fiction readers are grateful to sf authors for imagining this technology a generation ago. Consider the robotic hand that Luke Skywalker gets in Star Wars (1977) after an argument with his father.

(Luke Skywalker tests his new bionic hand)

Update: Thanks to Armisius for contributing this trailer for the game Deus Ex:human revolution. Game makers also contribute to our vision of the future of exoskeletons and robotic prosthetics.